Bears position analysis: Cornerback

The Chicago Bears could not have asked for much more to go right for them at the cornerback position in 2012.

Tim Jennings was re-signed to a two-year contract following a late-season benching in 2011 and he responded with production that even he didn’t anticipate. Jennings, known for slippery hands in the past, wound up leading the NFL with nine interceptions, the second-most in franchise history.

Charles Tillman continued to play at an elite level on the wrong side of 30 and both cornerbacks wound up being starters in the Pro Bowl, the first time one team has had both starters at the position in the game since the Cleveland Browns sent Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield in 1988.

Realistically, Jennings has already outplayed the $6.6 million, two-year contract he signed last March even though he triggered a $1 million escalator that will push his 2013 base pay to $4.25 million. He is set to return and so is Tillman after another strong season, giving new defensive coordinator Mel Tucker some core players on the back end even if both are entering the final year of their contracts.

Tillman scored three touchdowns to move past Mike Brown for the most defensive scores in franchise history with nine. Tillman had three interceptions to give him 33 for his career and place him third behind Gary Fencik (38) and Richie Petitbon (37). More impressively he forced 10 fumbles in 2012, tying him for the most in a single season since 1991 with defensive ends Jason Taylor (2006) and Osi Umenyiora (2010). Tillman now has 39 forced fumbles in his career, more than any other player since 2003, and since 1991 he and Brian Dawkins are the only players with 30 interceptions and 30 forced fumbles.

Certainly the play of the starters played a role in the decision by coach Marc Trestman to keep defensive backs coach Jon Hoke as a holdover from Lovie Smith’s staff. Hoke is considered a strong teacher and he’s gotten results since arriving in 2009.

2012 season review: Jennings provided a preview of highlights to come in the season-opening victory over the Indianapolis Colts when he intercepted rookie quarterback Andrew Luck twice. He followed with an interception the following week at Green Bay and then added another one in Week 3 against the St. Louis Rams to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. Jennings went on to have two more multi-interception games. He picked off Cam Newton twice in the Oct. 28 victory over the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field and also nabbed Houston’s Matt Schaub twice in the Nov. 11 loss to the Texans at home. Finally, he picked off Matthew Stafford in the season finale at Detroit.

Jennings had been around the ball plenty in previous seasons but he didn’t finish plays. That was a primary reason why he was benched in 2011 – he was dropping interceptions that were there to be made. He focused on his hands during the offseason and when he began the season with four interceptions in the first three games, quickly he was playing with more confidence. He began taking chances and they paid off. A tentative cornerback will not break on the ball. But Jennings had supreme confidence and became a force against the pass while remaining stout vs. the run. He finished the season with 16 passes broken up, double the number he had in 20911.

Jennings, who placed seventh with 68 tackles, made a season-high 11 stops in the Oct. 22 meeting with the Lions at Soldier Field. Jennings missed two games in December with a dislocated shoulder after a collision with Seattle Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson but returned in good shape.

Tillman was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October after he scored touchdowns in consecutive weeks with interception returns at Dallas and Jacksonville. He forced two fumbles in an Oct. 22 win over the Lions. Then, he started November hot, forcing four fumbles in the Nov. 4 victory at Tennessee. He scored a touchdown on an interception return in the Week 16 victory at Arizona and his 93 tackles ranked second on the defense, one ahead of strong safety Major Wright.